Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (Skop) on Sunday demanded a review of the minimum wage board’s recommendation for raising the garment workers’ minimum wage to Tk 5,300.
Skop leaders at a press conference at its headquarters said the readymade garment (RMG) workers will accept the recommendation as it does not reflect the increase in the living costs over the last few years.
They also raised complaints of trickery in the recommendation of Tk 5,300 minimum wage as the projected increase includes food and transport allowance instead of ensuring a satisfactory rise in the basic wage.
Addressing the press conference, Skop general secretary Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam said, “The recommendation implies that the basic in the wage will be increased by only 60 percent – from Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,200. It’s totally unacceptable given the rise in living cost since the last wage board has been award in the sector.”
“Interestingly, the recommendation of the minimum wages board includes a food allowance of Tk 300 and a transport allowance of Tk 200. This is unprecedented – food and transport allowances are non-wage benefits,” he added.
Ashiqul also noted that the wage of the operators, the key working force in the RMG sector was not proportionately increased in the recommendation.
Jatiya Sramik Jote president Shirin Akhter said the recommendation is regardless of the recommendations of the workers and the civil society.
“The civil society of the country has recommended a minimum wage as high as Tk 12,000, considering the living costs in these days. The workers are not demanding that legitimate amount. But we see the recommendation is much below the workers’ demand for Tk 8,000 in minimum wage.”
Jatiya Sramik Federation general secretary Amirul Haque Amin said workers had been pressing for Tk 8,000 minimum wages with conditions that the government ensures some ration facilities, and that the house rent is not increased. “But the owners are playing tricks to shift the focus from the workers’ demand,” he said.
Skop leaders urged the government’s intervention to ensure Tk 8,000 minimum wage and other facilities as demanded by the workers in the RMG sector.
Skop extends its support to the RMG workers to forge a strong movement on the demand, they added.
Source: UNBconnect
